Improving sustainability of pig and poultry production

Intensive production systems will play a key role in feeding a growing global population, but they must be sustainable. This means being environmentally friendly and allowing a reasonable profit for producers. This is a challenging task. One of the main ways in which sustainability can be achieved is through improving feed conversion efficiency (FCE) of farm animals.

The aim of the EU-funded ECO-FCE project is to improve understanding of factors affecting individual variation in FCE. It will identify management and nutritional routes through which FCE can be improved, and nutrient and greenhouse gas emissions reduced. Models and tools will be produced to help stakeholders to understand, measure and manage the impact of management decisions on FCE and the environment.

So far a major search of literature has produced a large ‘ECO-FCE electronic database’ of information on dietary, genetic and gut factors affecting FCE in pigs and broiler chickens. Collaboration between academic and industry partners is resulting in the development of genetic models aimed at increasing the accuracy of selection for feed efficiency in pigs. Genome wide association studies have revealed several regions of interest for further exploration.

Research into differences in gut microbiology, structure, function and immunology in pigs and broilers with differing FCE is well underway. Nutritional studies are also ongoing to determine the effect of dietary factors and nutrient levels in early life on FCE-related parameters in later life and the impact of feed additives on nutrient digestibility is being evaluated.

Project outcomes are expected to be widely disseminated and adopted due to the strong industry presence in the ECO-FCE team. This work will also place EU scientists at the forefront of research in pig and broiler chicken production.